Dead Don't Lie (8 page)

“You’re incorrigible,” she said playfully, refusing to meet Marcus’s stare. Ryan was right. Traffic was the last thing on her mind. Which, quite frankly, surprised the hell out of her.

CHAPTER TEN

M
ARCUS
LEANED
OVER
the steering wheel and studied the house numbers as he crept along 7th Avenue West.
Ah, there it is
. House number 2141. He pulled over and sat in silence. The house was a quintessential Craftsman-style nestled on one of the many tree-lined streets in Seattle. Everything about it screamed
home
. Better yet, everything about it screamed Evelyn Davis—or at least what he thought it would, after only being in her presence a week.

He slipped out of his vehicle and locked it. He turned, taking in the view in front of him. Even though the green siding was worn, the stark white of the trim around the large windows and door made it seem cheery. The wooden front porch was large, and a potbellied fire pit sat tucked into the far corner.

Nervous tension coiled in his stomach. He hadn’t felt this way since picking up his high school prom date, Christina Starklyn. His brothers would give him such grief if they could see him now.
What the hell was his problem?
He was successful, smart and strong. Why was this woman reducing him to a prepubescent idiot? He rubbed a hand over his face, hesitated on the concrete sidewalk in front of her house.

Because Evelyn Davis is anything but ordinary. That’s why.

“Get your shit together, Moretti,” he said into the twilight evening.

He’d come to Seattle, already impressed by her reputation and jacket—and already knowing she was a stunner from the picture in her file. But the floor had caved under him when he’d met the
real
Evelyn Davis. She was brutally savvy and handled herself like a pro under pressure. And she was sexy as hell. He’d known he was in trouble from their first meeting. Every time she walked into the same room, his whole body came alive. He shook his head and pushed back any idea of why that might be.

He climbed the steps, then pressed the doorbell. He waited, the tension coiling.

Evelyn opened the door and smiled at him. His pulse jumped. Dark jeans hugged her mile-long legs, and a black V-neck shirt playfully peeked out from under the lightweight leather bomber jacket she wore.

Even in her casual attire, she was beautiful.

She stepped out onto the porch and pulled the door closed behind her. They stood face-to-face for a moment. He was tall and normally peered down at most women who stood this close to him, but she only had to angle her head slightly to look him in the eye. He smiled at her and stepped back. It took everything in him to keep his jaw from going slack.

Evelyn gave him an odd look as she stepped around him and pulled out her keys. He uttered a short laugh, and her brows furrowed in a silent question.

“I’ll drive.” He held up his keys.

A small smile formed on her lips. “All-righty, then.”

He motioned for her to go in front of him, then followed her down the sidewalk, his heart hammering.
Keep your pants on. Sexy or not, she’s off-limits, at least for now.

He opened the car door for her. She slid into the vehicle, glanced at him and smiled her thanks, then quickly looked away.
What are you thinking?
He circled to his side of the vehicle. The woman sitting in his car followed his movement and had gotten deep into his mind, whether she meant to or not.

He paused before entering the car. Someone was watching. He could feel it. The cold sensation that’d saved him more than once crept up his neck, whispering a silent warning. He checked around. The street was quiet, empty. Strange. He sat and pulled the door closed, then eyed her and smiled. “Shall we?”

* * *

T
HE
CURTAIN
NEXT
door fluttered softly back to its rightful place. He kicked the end table and sent it flying across the room. Who was that man with Evelyn? Where did he come from? And why the hell did she look at him like that? How dare she seem happy...
be
happy? She didn’t deserve it. Not when she had taken so much from him. Taken everything from him. He willed himself to breathe deeply, to calm the volcano that burned inside him incessantly. Isn’t that what he’d learned just south of the border? To control his rage, channel it into something greater, something deeper. He was intelligent enough to know that you only act after you’ve controlled the power. So he’d wait. Then act.

And he would. He would take it all from her. Eventually. The image of her begging him to kill her flashed in his mind, pacifying him. Yes. He would take it all from her. But first, he’d enjoyed toying with her. He had more planned for her before this was all over. Watching her fret about the lack of movement in their case—
his
case—sent a thrill down his spine.

He marched to the old kitchen table, sank into the wooden chair and cradled his head. The volcano within him spewed acidic thoughts through his mind, consuming him again with a barely controllable rage. How could she be paying attention to that man? How could she look so happy when she should be paying attention to
him?
She was his. He owned her.

He took a swig of the stale, cheap beer and slammed the bottle down. He clenched his fists. The constant fury burned his throat. The old man huddled in the corner cried out, then shrank back.

“Don’t make me hurt you, old man,” he said, glaring.

He stood, walked to the kitchen window and peered out. He picked a knife from the knife block on the counter and ran his finger over the dull blade. He knew exactly how to draw her attention back to where it should be—on him.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

E
VELYN
AND
K
ATE
stood on the patio, enjoying the crisp autumn air. Both kids were down for the night. As the women sat by the roaring fireplace after dinner, Liam had fallen asleep in Evelyn’s arms. Kissing him on the forehead before placing him in his crib felt like kissing an angel. She smiled. The little man was an inferno. Her shirt was still slightly damp from holding his body against hers—funny how something so trivial could be so sweet. In silence, the two friends watched the illuminated Seattle skyline. A ferry crossed Puget Sound, its lights twinkling on the inky ocean water. Kate sipped her Riesling and nudged Evelyn with her hip.

“Yes?” Evelyn lifted her glass and savored the Malbec as it rolled over her tongue and down her throat.

Kate looked over her shoulder, pierced Evelyn with her eyes. “So, what’s going on with you two?”

“What? With Marcus?” Horrified at her transparency, Evelyn glanced away from Kate. Her cheeks burned. “Nothing. Why?”

“Nothing?” Kate snorted, then rolled her eyes. She tucked a strand of her fire-red hair behind her ear. “Oh, please. I see the way you look at each other.”

“Stop. Nothing is going on. Besides, you and I both know there’s a professional line that can’t be crossed. If I even wanted to cross it. Which I’m not saying I do.” Good grief. She was rambling like a little kid caught with her hand in the candy jar. What was her problem? “I don’t.”

“Why?”

The familiar, deep ache rose, trying to smother Evelyn. She fingered the stem of her glass. She didn’t want to speak the words that bubbled up into her throat, didn’t want to validate them by giving them a voice.

“Ev, wh—”

“I’m stuck in this dark, shattered place. There’s no room for anyone else. I’m broken, Kate.” Tears stung her eyes as she whispered the bitter words that haunted her.

“Oh, sweets. No, you aren’t.”

Evelyn wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, then bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. “But I am. It’s made me a great detective, but—”

“A kick-ass detective.”

Even Kate’s joking couldn’t alleviate the sorrow seeping from Evelyn’s soul.

“But I subconsciously sabotage any relationship before it even has the chance to work.”

“I wouldn’t call what you had with Chad or Todd a relationship.”

Despite the dull ache in her chest, Evelyn managed a feeble laugh. “True.”

“Okay, so what’s this really about, then?”

“I’m stuck. I can’t move past what happened to my family. It’s like an avalanche of heartache and scorching pain every second of every day. I can’t get away from it.”

“Oh, Ev—”

“I know they’d want me to move on. I
want
to. I want more than this life I live now.” She threw Kate a teary smile. “I want what you and Ry have, including the little munchkins.”

Kate grinned, grabbed Evelyn’s hand and entwined their fingers together.

Evelyn leaned her head against Kate’s and breathed in her soft, warm vanilla scent.

“I can’t start a family with someone, no matter how amazing that person may be, until I know what happened to my own. Until I close that case—until it’s done—there will always be this ugly eclipse over my life, this constant ache in my heart.” She took a deep breath to steady her emotions. “I can’t get away from the pain. I do a great job of managing the emotions. I gather strength from them. But it’s always there.”

Kate let go of Evelyn’s hand, threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her best friend close.

“And Marcus?” Kate asked.

Evelyn’s laugh was sad. “Even if he were interested—”

“You’d have to be blind and an idiot not to see that.”

Evelyn shrugged. “Regardless of whether or not he is, I can’t ask Marcus, or anyone for that matter, to walk this road with me. It’s bumpy, messy and ridiculously emotional. I can’t give myself to someone when I know I wouldn’t be giving all of myself. I’m still a shadow of who I could be, and that’s not fair.”

“But isn’t that
his
choice?” Kate asked softly.

“Maybe...” Evelyn grew quiet again.

They stood that way for a long time.

Finally Kate broke the silence. “But he’s really,
really
sexy.”

Evelyn rolled her eyes, balanced her empty glass on the smooth rail and refused to look at her friend. “He’s off-limits, Kate.”

“Oh, whatever. He’s totally your type.”

Evelyn chuckled. Her forehead muscles scrunched together. “My type?”

“Yes. Intelligent, tall, stubborn, sexy as hell—your type. And I think you’re in deeper trouble than you think you are.” Kate turned and leaned against the railing.

Evelyn glanced into the living room and watched the two men talk. Her heart fluttered as she caught Marcus sneaking a peek at her.

“Yep.” Kate giggled, nudging Evelyn with her hip again. “So much trouble.”

She’s impossible.
Evelyn turned her attention back to the living room. Ryan and Marcus yakked it up, laughing as they exchanged stories about who knew what. Marcus casually raised his eyes and caught her gaze, then lifted his Guinness toward her and smiled. Her pulse thumped against her ears in response to the simple gesture.
Maybe it was his choice
. Her heart skipped a beat at the mere possibility.
Oh, crap. She was in trouble
.

* * *

R
YAN
STOOD
.
“
S
HALL
we join the ladies?”

Marcus rubbed the back of his neck and looked sheepish. “That obvious?”

“That obvious. Seeing you and Evelyn dance around each other all night has been hilarious to watch, but it’s making me want to gag, man. I’ve had enough.”

“It can’t be a good idea,” Marcus mumbled. He set his empty bottle on the coffee table and rose.

“Never is.” Ryan laughed, slapping Marcus on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Marcus looked at Ryan. “Seriously, O’Neil, your thoughts?”

Ryan sighed and sat back down. He scratched his chin.

“What do I think? I’ve never seen her eyes light up the way they do when you walk in. Ever. She tries to hide it, but I’m her partner and I can read her. Her reaction to you speaks volumes to me. I think she deserves to be happy more than anyone I’ve ever known. You can’t choose who makes you happy. They either do or don’t.” He shrugged, glanced toward Kate and smiled. “It’s pretty simple in my book. So, if you continue to make her eyes light up, if you can make her happy, I’d say go for it. You’re two professional, levelheaded adults who know how to handle themselves.”

Marcus eyes widened. He hadn’t expected Ryan to go there. But in one statement he’d all but given Marcus permission to date his partner, and that made him nervous—and excited. He cleared his throat and reached for his beer.

“That being said, Evelyn Davis is intelligent, stubborn and one of the sexiest women you’ll ever meet. And I know she can take care of herself.” Ryan leaned forward. “But I swear, if you hurt her, Mr. Special Agent Man, in any way, I’ll personally track you down, rip off your balls and shove them down your throat.”

Marcus’s head snapped back at Ryan’s ferocious words. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had threatened him like that. Yet somehow it impressed him.

“I’d never—”

“She’d kill me if she knew I’d said any of this, but she’s not your typical woman. She wears a hard shell and takes all the male chauvinistic bullshit in stride.” Ryan chuckled, then snorted. “More than once, she’s had to stop
me
from reacting to the shit. But underneath that strong facade is a soft, gentle, tender woman with an incredible life story to tell.”

“Care to enlighten me?”

“No can do.” Ryan shook his head and held up his hands in mock surrender. “That’s her story to tell, if she ever does. But I can tell you this. You haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.”

Marcus smiled and looked out toward the two women. Kate said something and Evelyn laughed, her face soft. She was extraordinary. But Ryan didn’t need to tell him that. Marcus had known Evelyn was incredible the moment he’d laid eyes on her, and he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind ever since.

Ryan slapped Marcus on the back and stood once more. “I say go for it, man.”

He winked, then walked toward the patio. He slid the heavy glass door open, stepped out into the cool Seattle air and joined the women. Marcus swallowed. His heart thumped as Evelyn laughed at something Ryan said.
Her story, huh?
There was so much about that woman, so much that he wanted to know, to discover. He couldn’t deny that something about Evelyn Davis drew him to her. He got up.

The real question now was, would she let him in?